"Shula?!" When Rokossovsky received a call from Lunev and heard the name Shula, he couldn't help but frowned: "Who is he? Is it important?" He said this.
At that time, he was thinking to himself, what on earth is going on? Why did Lunev, the deputy minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, ask about a tank corps officer? Did something happen to him?
After hearing Rokossovsky's answer, Luniev immediately realized that the other party had misunderstood, and quickly explained: "Comrade Marshal, I'm sorry, I didn't make it clear. Although Shula is just an ordinary tank corps officer, he
He has a special identity. He is the younger brother of the heroine Zoya, who just turned 20 this year. Before I came to the frontier, Comrade Beria gave me a task, asking me to ensure that after meeting Shula, he
Safety, ensuring that he can survive until the day of victory."
"So that's it." After listening to Luniev's explanation, Rokossovsky realized that he had misunderstood the other party, and said with some embarrassment: "I thought something happened to him, so you would use me to find him.
His whereabouts."
"Comrade Marshal, after I came to the 48th Army, I asked many people to inquire about Shula." Lunev continued: "There are many people with this name, but none of them are the people I am looking for. I just talked with
Misha talked about it, and he said that if he wants to find this Shura among dozens or millions of people, I’m afraid I can only ask you for help.”
As a commander commanding hundreds of thousands of people, Rokossovsky naturally did not have time to find an ordinary tank commander. He turned to Suboting who was sitting next to him and said: "Comrade Military Commissar, I have something
I want to trouble you."
Subboting said quickly: "Comrade Marshal, if you have anything to do, please feel free to tell me."
"It's like this. General Lunev, the military commissar of the 48th Group Army, called and asked us to help him find a young tank commander named Shura." Rokossovsky said to Subbotin: "This
The commander is the younger brother of the heroine Zoya, and Comrade Beria once told Runev that he must let this young man live until the day of victory."
"Don't worry, Comrade Marshal." After figuring out what task Rokossovsky had assigned him, Suboting stood up and said, "Leave this matter to me. I will definitely find this Shu.
Pulled."
"General Lunev, did you hear everything?" Rokossovsky said into the microphone: "My military commissar, General Subbotin, is willing to help you find Shura in the army. Just wait.
Hear the good news."
After Lunev put down the phone, he excitedly said to Sokov: "Misha, Comrade Marshal has promised to help me find Shula in the army. I believe it won't be long before I can get accurate information about Shula.
"
"Comrade Military Commissar," Sokov felt that he needed to pour cold water on Lunev and let him calm down: "Even with the help of Comrade Marshal, it is not easy to find Shura. You know
, the total strength of the Second Front Army was hundreds of thousands. The troops suffered attrition during the battle, and their superiors were constantly replenishing them. I am afraid that many commanders and fighters died in the battle before their names were even entered into the roster. In the battle
In this case, looking for a tank commander is like looking for a needle in a haystack."
"But I always have to try, just in case I find it." Lunev also said helplessly: "After all, I am entrusted by others."
"I'm afraid it will take a long time to find someone." Sokov said to Lunev: "Comrade Military Commissar, don't be anxious and wait patiently. I believe that with the help of the marshal, there is still great hope to find Shula.
of."
When Sokov said this, he once again began to recall the history of these heroic siblings in his mind. He vaguely remembered reading a book written by their mother, saying that Shura died in the battle to liberate Königsberg.
If I remember correctly, the Second Front only dispatched its air force to bomb Königsberg, but did not dispatch ground troops. The main attack force was the troops of the Third Front.
When Sokov was trying to remember, Ponedelin saw his expression and asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, what are you thinking about?"
Hearing Ponedelin ask himself, Sokov looked up at him and said: "Comrade Deputy Commander, do you think it is possible that the Shura we are looking for is not in our Second Front at all?"
"This is impossible." Runev immediately retorted: "According to the information I have received, Shura is in the troops attacking East Prussia."
"Comrade Military Commissar, you are right about one thing. Our Second Front is indeed the force attacking East Prussia." Sokov said: "But now, our Second Front is not the only force attacking East Prussia. There are also
No one in the Third Front or the Baltic Front can guarantee that Shula is not in other units."
"Comrade Commander, why are you still talking about Shula?" At this time, Sidorin came over and interrupted the conversation of several people. He put a message he had just received on the table: "This
There is a latest piece of information that has just been received.”
"What information?" Sokov asked.
"General Nikitin, commander of the 120th Guards Division, reported," Sidorin saw that everyone was staring at him, and no one paid attention to the telegram on the table. He could only briefly convey the contents of the telegram to
Everyone said it again: "They captured a group of officers and soldiers of the Grossdeutschland Division during the battle. After interrogating the prisoners, they learned that the division had received an order to retreat to Königsberg."
"Ah, the troops of the Grossdeutschland Division are going to retreat towards Königsberg?" Ponejelin was somewhat surprised when he heard the news and asked: "Chief of Staff, is the news reliable?"
"The telegram was sent by General Nikitin himself." Sidorin replied: "I believe his report should be credible. In addition, the Brandenburg Panzer Grenadier, which is also affiliated with the Grossdeutsche Panzer Army,
The grenade division also received an order to retreat."
Sokov asked: "Did the prisoner say when the main force of the Grossdeutschland Division plans to retreat to Königsberg?"
"Tonight." After Sidorin said this, he asked Sokov for instructions: "Since the German army intends to abandon its position and retreat, should we take the opportunity to launch a more ferocious attack on them?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff, although the German army has been ordered to retreat, if we increase the intensity of our attack on them at this time." Sokov shook his head and rejected Sidorin's proposal: "The enemy will definitely be able to stay and resist tenaciously until
After repelling our army's attack, choose to retreat."
"Then what should we do?" Sidorin looked at Sokov and asked, "Are we just going to watch the enemy retreat under our noses?"
"Chief of Staff, come and see the map." Sokov pointed to the map and said to Sidorin: "If the German army wants to retreat, it will inevitably pass through the combat area of the 65th Group Army. We can first get in touch with the commander of the friendly forces.
After the enemy's retreat begins, use pursuit tactics to attack them. At this moment, the friendly forces intercept from the front, and the enemy, who is attacked from both sides, will definitely suffer heavy losses."
"This is a good idea." Sidorin nodded and said: "Comrade Commander, you have a good relationship with General Bartov. I think you should greet him in person."
Sokov readily agreed to Sidorin's proposal. He picked up the phone and ordered the communications troops to connect to the 65th Army Headquarters. After hearing General Batov's voice coming from the receiver, he
He immediately greeted warmly: "Hello, General Batov! I am Sokov."
"It turns out to be General Sokov." Hearing that the person who called him was actually Sokov, Bartov smiled and asked: "Did you call me for something important?"
"That's it, General Batov." Sokov picked up the phone on the table and stared at the content on it. "My troops captured a group of officers and soldiers of the Grossdeutschland Division. After interrogating some of the prisoners,
, they confessed that they had received orders from their superiors to withdraw from their existing positions tonight and move towards Königsberg."
"Oh, is this news reliable?" Batov quickly asked his chief of staff to bring him a map. While looking at the situation map of the enemy and ourselves, he asked Sokov: "General Sokov, if this news is true, what are you going to do?
manage?"
"If I launch a strong attack on the German army at this moment, the enemy will definitely resist our attack with all their strength in order to retreat safely. In this way, we will suffer a certain degree of losses." Sokov thought of cooperating with Batov.
, and did not hide anything from him: "So I plan to stay put for the time being, and when the German army starts to retreat, our army will follow and pursue. And if your troops give the enemy a head-on attack, I believe it will cause huge losses to the enemy."
.”
To be on the safe side, Batov asked specifically: "General Sokov, the unit you said is about to retreat, is it the Grossdeutschland Division or the Grossdeutschland Panzer Corps?"
"The German officers and soldiers we captured during the battle were affiliated with the Grossdeutschland Division, but in their confessions, they mentioned that the Brandenburg Panzergrenadier Division also received orders to retreat."
"So that's it." Bartov raised his hand and looked at the time. He felt that it was a bit too early to arrange the interception of the Grossdeutschland Division at this moment, so he said into the microphone: "General Sokov, thank you for providing us with the information."
information. I will start ordering the troops to prepare now, and when everything is ready, I will discuss specific cooperation matters with you."
"Okay." After hearing what Bartov said, Sokov couldn't say anything else and could only say one sentence: "After your troops are ready, we will discuss the next step of cooperation."
After Bartov put down the phone, he immediately called his chief of staff and said to him: "Chief of Staff, are there any officers and soldiers of the Grossdeutschland Division among the prisoners we captured?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander." Hearing Bartov's question, the Chief of Staff asked in confusion: "Why do you ask this?"
"General Sokov just informed me." Batov said to his chief of staff: "According to the confessions of the prisoners of the Grossdeutschland Division, two divisions of the Grossdeutschland Panzer Army will withdraw from their positions tonight and move toward Ko
The direction of Nisborg changes.”
"What, the Grossdeutschland Panzer Army will abandon its position tonight and move towards Königsberg?" The chief of staff looked at the map and said with bright eyes: "If this information is reliable, the enemy will start from our
Once the combat area is passed, we can give them a head-on blow and maybe defeat these two elite divisions of the German army in one go."
"Chief of Staff, yes. I think so too." Bartov pointed to the map and said: "If the German army wants to withdraw to Königsberg, it must pass through our combat area. At that time, our army will only need to give the enemy a head-on head-on.
A heavy blow will cause them considerable losses. General Sokov just said that he plans to send troops to pursue them from behind, and we will attack the Germans from both front and back."
"That's not bad." The chief of staff couldn't help but smile after hearing this: "If the troops of our two armies really attack from the front and the rear, I believe that a considerable number of the German Panzer Army's troops will be lost in this area. If Marshal
Comrades will definitely be very happy when they find out about this."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, tell me, will two group armies act simultaneously and annihilate two German divisions achieve greater results, or will one group army annihilate two German divisions achieve greater results?"
The chief of staff couldn't help but be stunned after hearing this, and then asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, are you planning to leave the 48th Group Army and go it alone?"
"Yes, that's how I think about it." Batov did not hide his true thoughts from his chief of staff: "There is still a Second Assault Army between us and the 48th Army. If they really follow
The withdrawal of the German troops is not a cross-regional operation. In this way, even if our two sides cooperate and achieve great results, I am afraid that Comrade Marshal will attribute all the credit for this battle to Sokov."
Originally, the chief of staff felt that what Bartov wanted to do alone was somewhat unreasonable. But after listening to his analysis, he felt that if Sokov's troops were really allowed to enter their own combat area, it would be a cross-regional operation. No matter what
My own troops performed so outstandingly in the battle to eliminate the enemy. I am afraid that everyone will unconsciously give the greatest credit to Sokov and his 48th Army.
After thinking about this, the chief of staff nodded and said in agreement: "Comrade Commander, I understand what you mean. I immediately issued an order to the troops, asking them to rush to the areas where the German army may pass through to establish defenses and prepare to give the enemy a head-on head-on.
Beaten."
"Go quickly." Bartov waved his hand to the chief of staff and urged: "Move up the second echelon troops, let them enter the combat area as soon as possible, and make all combat preparations, so that regardless of the German Panzer Army's Greater Deutsche Panzer
Whenever we arrive, we can give them a head-on blow."
The military commissar sitting next to him as a mascot showed an embarrassed expression when he heard the conversation between Batov and the chief of staff. While the chief of staff was on the phone, he asked Batov in a low voice:
"Comrade Commander, is it really appropriate for us to do this?"
"What's inappropriate?" Batov looked at the military commissar and said, "You can't just watch friendly forces swagger into our area and establish a victory that can cover up our light? If this really happens,
The situation, even if you and I don’t say anything, I’m afraid the commanders and soldiers below will have emotions in their hearts.”
